In our society, doctors hold an honorable position. Doctors make people healthier. When people get sick, doctors figure out why. They provide medications and other types of treatment. They also give advice on diet, exercise, and sleep.
Doctors use science to determine what causes people to be ill. They examine people, listen to how they describe their health problems, and conduct tests to find out what is wrong. Learn more about doctors and their profession in this list of interesting facts about doctors.
Interesting Facts About Doctors
- Lengthy Education: To become a doctor requires many years of education – in some cases, up to 11 years. A doctor must first earn a bachelor’s degree, which usually takes 4 years. This is typically followed by 4 years of medical school and then 3 to 8 years of residency, depending on the chosen specialty.
- Medical Errors: Medical errors are considered one of the leading causes of death and injury. It is estimated that around 98,000 people die annually in hospitals due to medical errors.
- Telesurgery: Another interesting fact about doctors – with telesurgery, a surgeon can operate on a patient even if they are not in the same country, let alone the same room. Cardiac surgery, hysterectomy, and even neurosurgery can be performed over long distances using a camera, computer, and robotic technologies.
- Dr. Death: Known as “Dr. Death,” Jack Kevorkian assisted patients in committing suicide, for which he received eight years in prison in 1999. He invented the euthanasia machine, which he called the Thanatron, meaning “instrument of death” in Greek. The machine had three vials that first administered a saline solution, then a painkiller, and finally a lethal dose of potassium chloride.
- Arthur Conan Doyle: Popular books featuring detective Sherlock Holmes were written by Arthur Conan Doyle, a doctor. Doyle graduated from the medical school at the University of Edinburgh and had his own practice in Portsmouth, England.
- Ancient Medical Practices: In early Asian civilizations, the medical practice of doctors was particularly advanced. Chinese doctors knew how to use many different herbs, minerals, and animal products to treat illnesses. In India, surgical methods were applied, including the removal of tumors, bladder stones, and even cataracts.
- Substance Abuse: Doctors are just as likely to abuse alcohol and illegal drugs as the average citizen, but they are much more likely to abuse prescription medications due to their proximity and ease of acquisition. They are also more likely to relapse later for the same reasons.
- Asclepius: Asclepius was the Greek god of medical art, believed to be the son of Apollo, raised and trained in the art of healing. Asclepius is thought to be based on a real person who lived around 1200 BC and performed many miraculous healings.
- High Earnings: Doctors belong to one of the highest-paid professions, and job growth in this field is faster than the average for all occupations. It is estimated that from 2012 to 2020, growth will be 18%.
- Religion and Stress: Even doctors cannot live by medicine alone. When it comes to coping with stress, religion and faith can play the most significant role. Seventy-three percent of doctors report having religious or spiritual beliefs. Seventy-two percent of this group agree that their beliefs help them cope with stress in their profession.